iLost My Heart in LA
by Metatron85
Summary: CROSSOVER! Freddie Benson leaves behind everything from his old life and goes to LA to start college. While looking for a place to stay off campus, he gets unlikely roommates in the Vega sisters. The younger one, Tori, offers to be his guide in school and town. Things start to get comfortable...and really complicated! Shippers of all kinds will want to stay tuned. How will it end?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is certainly a period of firsts for me! I've already done my first one-shot, my first alternative universe fic, my first sequel and my first semi-autobiographical story. Now the time has come for both my first crossover and my first challenge (courtesy of Challenge King).**

**The realms of ****_iCarly_**** and ****_Victorious_**** will collide once again but I wanted to take it in a different direction than others might expect. Episodes like ****_iParty with Victorious _****and the forthcoming spinoff ****_Sam and Cat _****certainly exploit the comedic possibilities of the merging of these worlds. But I really wanted to see the concept be pushed as far as it can go. **

**I want this story (probably more than any other one I've done so far) to be special because this one was a request from out of the blue. Writing for ****_Victorious_****, the possibility of incorporating ****_iCarly _****was always there but I never thought I would do one. But seeing that prompt in my inbox was enticing and I think working within these guidelines will actually help my imagination. Sometimes being able to do whatever you want doesn't always bring out the best. **

**If this goes well, I will certainly be taking requests in the future. Guess I have to drag myself into the 21st century and open a Tumblr account, huh?**

**While Freddie and Tori are the primary characters, you will find that this story is an ensemble piece. I was tired of how little I gave my minor characters to do in past stories. Since I wanted to cater to both camps of fans, I felt it would be best if I gave everybody their moments. I also will have to keep the shippers from both shows in the dark for a while but I think the majority of you will be pleased with where this all goes. **

**With anything different from what I have done before, I really want to hear from all of you. Comment or message me if you don't want it public. ;-)**

* * *

"Where are you going?"

Freddie didn't acknowledge Sam leaning in the doorway of his bedroom.

"_Why_ are you going?"

"You know why," Freddie replied in monotone. "This is isn't easy for me, you know. But it would be much harder staying."

A few weeks ago, Mrs. Benson died in one of those freak accidents. She was testing a new vacuum cleaner that was advertised to attack allergens. A faulty wire electrocuted her and CPR was not administered in time because she was home alone that day. Freddie was at school and was the one to find his mother lying on the floor that afternoon.

Carly felt bad for Freddie because she could see it in his face that he blamed himself. But she wasn't always sad. Something got her dander up. And that was Sam's complete lack of support. She didn't even attend the funeral.

When asked, Sam replied "It's not like a liked her."

"It doesn't matter," Carly folding her arms. "You were supposed to be there for Freddie. His world is crumbling and you couldn't stop to think about him for a minute?"

Sam stared down her friend but the usually meek brunette just glared right back, challenging her to retort.

After several minutes of this standoff, Sam broke the silence and left. "I'm hungry. I'm gonna get something to eat."

Now, Sam watched Freddie pack the last of his things to move to Los Angeles to live with his father who was a teacher there. He hardly saw him since the divorce about ten years ago. He decided he was going to spend his post high school career in the City of Angels.

Seattle had enough demons that made him not want to come back. And one of them was standing across the room, burning a hole through his head with her eyes.

"Does this have to do with me?" Sam asked bluntly (her usual setting).

"You?" Freddie puffed heavily through his nostrils. "Don't flatter yourself." He picked up his bags and brushed past Sam to leave.

Carly waited outside in the hallway to see Sam's progress after forcing her to go in there to talk to Freddie. She hasn't had the best success. Years ago, she could just sweetly ask him of anything and he would do it. It was when he had that crush on her and she'll admit to herself that she has taken advantage of that in the past. But now, he has been unapproachable. Carly had never been nervous around Freddie before but she knew he had to be on the edge.

What he would say or do next was a total mystery these days. This was both the most and least surprising.

Freddie charged out of the apartment door with Sam trailing behind a few feet. His path is blocked by the younger Shay.

"Please, Freddie" Carly put on the sad face. "Don't go."

"I'm sorry, Carly but…" Freddie looked back at Sam who was standing there, waiting to hear answers. "It's complicated."

"Oh, Freddie that's just some chiz people say when they don't want to talk about something!"

"You're right," Freddie sighed. "I _don't_ want to talk about it."

"Wait," Carly stepping forward, holding out her hand. "What about _iCarly_?"

"What about it?" Freddie's nonchalant attitude surprised even Sam.

"If you leave, who's gonna be the technical producer?"

"Someone else can do it," Freddie shrugged.

"You know," Sam putting her hand on Freddie's shoulder. "For a Mama's boy, you're very disobedient…"

He smacked her hand off of him. "Don't talk to me about mothers, Puckett!"

Sam looked back at him wide-eyed. Of all the times she messed with him, this was the closest he ever came to laying a hand on her. She had to take a step back to really take in the hate in his eyes.

"Sam! Freddie!" Carly was desperately trying to keep the growing rift at bay. "Listen to me, Freddie. You may think you're turning your back on your pain but you're only turning your back on those that care about you."

"Whatever. I don't need this." Freddie picked up his big bag and proceeded to the elevator.

"Back at ya, Benson!" Sam yelled down the hall.

"You know," Carly glowered at her best friend. "You two can be such jerks that it's remarkable you guys broke up."

She slammed the door of the Shay apartment shut.

"Aw, hell" Sam muttered under her breath.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to Challenge King and Fanfic-Reader-88 for your kind words. Your support is really important to me. I am not used to how little these crossovers get noticed and read. What little feedback I do get is treasured and I appreciate you for looking forward to this chapter and more!**

**Special mention to Chasenyx for the follow. I'll take it! And thanks to S.K. Rowling for promising to give it a read.**

**Hopefully, the fan base will grow as the story wears on. **

**Enjoy, you beautiful people ;-)**

* * *

The bus taking Freddie to the Amtrak station almost made him late. Fortunately, he was still able to get onto the next one going southbound. The Coastal Starlight was an almost two-day excursion from Seattle, down through Portland, Oregon and finally ending up in L.A. The bustling people squeezing their luggage in every conceivable place possible were buzzing about the trip.

People said that the Pacific northwest scenery was breathtaking. Having something to look at was nice and all but at this point Freddie would have settled for just about anything to keep his mind off of things.

The sun began to set on the mountains, which were growing smaller and smaller.

Freddie took out his Pearphone and began browsing through his photos, trying to find ones with his mom in them. He was bemused by how many of them where he was looking like he didn't want to be there. Yeah, she was beyond overprotective but all that insanity came from a good place. If it weren't for the chip she implanted into his head, him and his friends would have been still in the clutches of Nora and her sick family. Then there was that time she stood up for him and fenced the bully at that tournament.

All things considered, especially knowing Sam Puckett's mom, Freddie could've had worse. It wasn't until she was gone that he realized how much he missed her.

His finger glided across the screen, revealing one photo after the other from his high school years. Suddenly, he stopped. This one with Sam in it and she's smiling at him. The only photo he ever took of their first real date; the one where Carly first planted the idea that they probably didn't belong together. She really looked beautiful in her outfit, accentuated by that odd butterfly necklace with the blue border she wore that night. Freddie pressed a little harder on the screen until the delete option popped up. He stared at the picture. It was his only relic from the time that him and Sam dated. If he erases it, then that's that. There wouldn't be any more others. Sam was never the sentimental type and she certainly wouldn't have held onto any memorabilia (even a cell phone capture).

Freddie mused while keeping his decisive finger steady. His eyes remained on the 2 megapixel image. He was so happy with Sam on his arm, like he was on top of the world at that moment. It wasn't his first date but Sam was his first real girlfriend. In fact, she was the first girl he ever…

DELETE.

With a whooshing sound, the picture got sucked into the little trash can icon. Lost forever.

Freddie leaned his head against the window, watching the twilight turn to pitch black. In the deepest countryside when night fell, there was nothing to see outside his window. When the artificial lights began to shine brightly, all that was in Freddie's window was his reflection staring back at him.

"You got away from her, huh?" he asked 'himself.'

"Yep," he answered himself.

"Then why don't you look happy?"

* * *

"TORI! COME ON! LET'S GO!"

Trina's shrill beckoning reverberated through the entire floor.

"What?" Tori Vega emerged from the shower, drying her hair.

"Oh, my god. You're still not ready?"

"Trina," the younger sister checked the clock. "It's still less than an hour before class starts."

"Ugh," the older sister folded her arms. "And here I thought I had more time than that?"

"Why the hell do you want to get there so early, anyway?"

"Beeeecaaauuuuuusssse, we have to make sure we get good seats. Well…it's crucial _I _get a good seat. You can sit wherever."

"Gee, thanks. And why do you want to get good seats?" Tori threw her head towel into the hamper which was hard to see underneath all the clothes from Trina's failed attempts to throw her dirty stuff in from across the room. "Didn't know you were so passionate about this course."

"Oh, please." Trina giving her cynical face. "I could give a rat's ass about Biology!"

"It's American History."

"See?"

"Don't tell me; you have a mad-on for the professor."

"Ew, don't call it that! But, yes. How did you know?"

"Well, only every single girl signing up for it wouldn't stop talking about perfect Professor O'Neill."

"Those ganks had better watch out. Cuz, Trina Vega always gets what she wants…"

"Since when?"

"Oh, shut up! Now get ready!"

"Okay," she grinned. "If you continue to shout and scream and demand; I will deliberately take longer and we won't even get to sit in the back row."

"Maybe I'll just leave without you."

"Can't," Tori called out of her room, changing. "You're my ride."

"Oh yeah?"

Tori hears the door slam.

"Nice try, Trina!" she shouts. "I know you didn't really leave me!"

The silence worried Tori and she looked out the window to see her sister's red Volkswagen Jetta was gone.

"That bitch really left me," she gasped.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks to all of you for your warm reception of the last chapter. I feel my confidence in this story restored and now that we're over the hump of Freddie migrating to LA-LA-Land, this yarn can get on track.**

**Shout-outs Jeremy Shane (nice to see you again) and xRaysxMyxWayx for joining the beautiful people in the reviews.**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter. I rewrote it probably 4 times until I got it to where I wanted our characters to be.**

**see you soon ;-)**

* * *

The train eased to a stop at the terminal in LAX. The car was half-empty until Freddie woke up. He got onto the platform and dragged his luggage to the nearest escalator.

Freddie did a double take when he got off. Literally hundreds of people were bustling about in all directions. There was the train station but there was also the bus terminal, taxi pickup, and of course the huge international airport. Shaking his head left to right, trying to take it all in, it was impossible to tell who was coming or going.

And Freddie certainly had his work cut out for him to find the way out.

It was a typical sunny day in Los Angeles and the day he left Seattle was your dime a dozen rainstorm so it took a second for his eyes to adjust to the brightness.

Once he could see the sea of yellow cars, he waived one over. Freddie just managed to fit everything plus him in the backseat of the cab. The driver couldn't open the trunk because the mechanism was broken.

"Where to, guy?" the driver asked.

"Santa Monica."

"So, just anywhere in Santa Monica?"

"Oh, sorry" Freddie mentally face-palmed himself. "The college."

* * *

Tori paced around her bedroom furious.

"I don't know why I put up with her shit," she mutters to herself. She checked the clock. Class had started but the mail should at least be here.

Tori started down the five flights of stairs to the entrance where the mail boxes were recessed in the wall adjacent to the front door. It wasn't always the kind of door that could only be opened either if you had the key or you were buzzed in. But when so many students made up the residents on the property, the management was compelled to make the change. The last thing he needed was an attack frightening his tenants.

She unlocked the slot marked "T. Vega & T. Vega." Tori wrote it and showed it to Trina as a joke and she didn't get it. To this day she still thinks that her name is first. _Whatever._

Leafing through the generic junk mail, Tori came across a handful of envelopes that made her heart sink. She closed the mailbox and darted back up the steps.

Tori plopped on her bed and tore into the official-looking post. One was from the electric company, asking for $198.55 from the last two months. Another was from their carrier. Trina roamed, apparently and Tori overreached in texts (apparently her unlimited plan didn't cover tweets). She knew she should have gotten the data plan. That bill totaled $244.11.

Then there was the rent. Their parents helped them out with the down payment, safety deposit and the rent for the first sixth months. But they expected their daughters, whom both had part-time jobs, to learn a little responsibility and pool their moneys together and it work. Mom and dad both went to college and graduated all while working their way through school, so they knew from experience it wasn't impossible.

Tori felt sick to her stomach when she looked at the numbers in bold at the bottom of the invoice: **$1,849.62**.

She checked her bank account on her phone and it had little over $89 in it.

Closing out the app, Tori texts her darling sister. It read: HEY SIS, WE'RE SCREWED. YOU BETTER CALL ME.

* * *

Freddie dragged his belongings across the massive campus until he reached the bursar's office. A smiling girl about one year older than him turned around and said, "Good morning."

"Hey," he smiled at his first human contact aside from the cabbie. "Um, Freddie Benson. I just enrolled here." He handed the pretty girl his ID and admission papers.

She looked at his photo and back at him. "Are…are you him?"

"I don't know what you…"

"Yeah," cutting Freddie off. "You're iCarly! Wow. I loved the show. When's it coming back?"

Freddie shrugged, "I don't know."

"Oh…" she realized. "You guys broke up?"

"It's…complicated. I'm sorry but could I have my room?"

"Let me see," the girl began typing away really fast. "Oh, you don't seem to have any accommodations."

"No, I _should_." Freddie dropped his bags and furrowed his brow. "My mom made the arrangements."

"Sorry, I have no record of that."

_Oh no. She didn't do it_, Freddie thought. _She didn't forget. She must not have thought I would have went to school here and left her._

"So, what do I do now?" Freddie asked, irritated.

"Well," she checked the computer for a minute. "All the dorms are completely full. We're notorious for transfers adding to our already high attendance. Accommodations go fast."

"I'm not from around here," Freddie's tone was defeated. "Where am I supposed to go? It's not like I know anybody."

"Hey," her face with genuine concern. "Take my advice. Just get what you need for your classes. Find out your schedule and all that. I'm sure you'll make one friend by the end of the day. And hey, check the bulletin board by the student center. There are people out there looking for roommates."

Freddie sighed but can't be mad at the girl behind the counter. None of this was her fault and she's only trying to help.

"Okay," he finally said. "I'll give it a try. Maybe I'll find some good luck for a change."

He walked through the automatic doors which led to the promenade which looked like a massive park accentuated with brown buildings. It really was a beautiful campus.

"Maybe."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Glad you're enjoying the story here and your reviews keep me going and wanting to make each chapter better than the last. This one's a little shorter but I couldn't add more.**

* * *

"Are you kidding me?" Trina snapped as she walked the length of the hallway just outside the classroom and back again. Repeatedly. "How the hell can we owe that much?"

"I dunno," Tori shrugged. "I thought you were supposed to keep an eye on the account."

"Hey, I've been busy!"

"Alright, then what are we gonna do?"

Trina smacks the wall. "Mom and dad. You could call them and ask for some…"

"I am NOT doing that!" Tori stamped her foot. "Even if they did want to help us, and I seriously doubt that, we might as well call ourselves complete failures at trying to live out in the world on our own."

"Would living at home again really be that terrible, Tori?"

"Trina," Tori took a deep breath and released it. "If we move back home, they basically own our asses. We would not be trusted with anything or earn back any of the respect we would have lost."

"So, what do you suppose we do to fix this?" Trina sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

"You know what we have to do. We are living beyond our means; we need additional income rolling in this apartment."

"How?" Trina asked.

Tori remained silent on the phone, psychically projecting a "really?" face through the line. Trina understood.

"Oh, no" she whined. "Anything but that!"

"I don't care," Tori reaching down for some weight in her tone of voice. "We have to let that room out."

"But, it was supposed to be my recording studio. I got estimates on how to soundproof it…"

"TRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNNAAAAAAAAAA !"

"Fine," she sighed exaggeratedly. "Guess we'll have to make flyers."

"I'm already at Kinko's" Tori hung up the phone before Trina could finish her response.

The clerk came up to her and led her to the machine for copying. After about fifteen minutes, Tori left the store with a stack of fifty flyers in eye-catching goldenrod with bold black letters.

* * *

Freddie obtained his temporary school I.D. until his laminated photo I.D. was ready. It gave him access to the café, computer labs, and even the library (though he couldn't check out any books until he gets his permanent card.)

He spent a couple hours at a computer going through his e-mails and checking out local rooms to let. Leads were scarce but any one that sounded good he wrote down. Once Freddie had a list of about ten good candidates, he set out to find a place to stay.

* * *

Sam lazed on Carly's couch, staring at the front door.

"He's not coming, you know."

Sam thinks if she ignores the brunette behind her, she will disappear.

"I miss him, too." Carly sat beside her best friend.

"That makes one of us," Sam finally managed to get out.

"You don't really mean that," Carly smirked at Sam.

This was their fourth consecutive week not doing the show. Carly's twitter was blowing up with hundreds of messages from fans wondering what happened to the web show. Truthfully, she wasn't really concerned about doing the show in and of itself. Having that weekly deadline was a nice, convenient way for Carly to keep tabs on her friends. Even when they went on trips out of town, they would take the show with them.

Now Freddie pulled up stake and left town. And this one on the couch is like a totally different person.

Sam turned her back toward Carly but kept her gaze on the door that Freddie would walk through every day. Even when it was usually because he had a crush on Carly. She wasn't interested but it still irritated Sam whenever Freddie acted like a puppy toward her.

Well, she doesn't have to think about that anymore. He's gone and life is a lot simpler.

Maybe too simple.

Carly walked to the kitchen where Spencer was gorilla gluing mini paraphernalia to a roller-skate. She's learned not to question it.

"Hey," sitting in the chair next to her big brother.

"What's up, kiddo?"

"Sam."

"Still sulking?"

"Not sulking; it's like she's…dead inside. I can't describe it."

Spencer put down his junk-bedazzled skate. "I'm sure it's not that serious. She'll get over whatever is bothering her."

"I don't think so," Carly folded her arms. "She's been on that couch staring into space for six hours."

"That's not so bad."

"She hasn't gotten up to eat anything the whole time."

Spencer dropped his glue, looking at the forlorn blonde in the living room. "Whoa."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: If anyone had trouble reading the last chapter, if you felt the ending was too abrupt, there's a good reason for that. I made a mistake. When I transferred my chapter onto the site, the last few lines were missing. So you might want to re-read the last chapter where we are in the Shay apartment.**

**Thanks to Challenge King for the quick word back. You were a huge help in making me decide on how to handle this part of the story. Hopefully, this will be what everyone has been waiting for. The story is just beginning. Trust me.**

**;-)**

* * *

Freddie was halfway through his list of potential rooms for let within a five block radius of campus. One place had electrical problems, another had bad plumbing. The third place had a skylight in the form of a half collapsed roof so birds were flying through it. The next one had police tape on the front so he didn't even go inside that one. The fifth place was fully furnished but it was tattered and reeked as thought it was all fished out of a garbage heap.

Exhausted, dragging his possessions everywhere, Freddie went to get something to eat at the student center. Finally getting a small table to himself, he plopped down himself and his bags. He leaned to check out the big blackboard sign near the entrance advertising the today's menu. His eyes wandered until settling on a bright highlighter-yellow piece of paper.

Freddie walked over to get a better look at it and it was about a three-bedroom loft nearby. The two tenants were looking for a third. He shrugged, folding the flyer into his pants pocket while getting in line to order a turkey club with chips.

When he was almost done eating, Freddie dialed the number on the flyer and a girl answered.

"This is Tori," the young woman's voice said, sweet but obviously fatigued.

"Oh, hi. I was looking at this ad for you looking for a roommate?"

The line fell silent for an uncomfortable half minute.

"Oh…" the girl trying to be cordial. "I think there might be a problem…"

"Let me guess," Freddie sizing up the situation. "Your other roommate is a girl too?"

"My sister, actually" laughed the girl who called herself Tori.

"So maybe I should just go…"

"Um…bye, I guess…"

Freddie wasn't sure which one of them hung up first but he felt embarrassed by that whole exchange.

* * *

The sun was vanishing behind the trees and buildings. Some light still remained in the sky. And Freddie was getting very worried. He was running out of options and it was a long ways to the nearest motel to put himself up for the night.

He looked around the student center, the various twenty-somethings laughing and conversing. And going home. Pretty soon he was the only one left and the janitors were coming out of the little room to begin sweeping and mopping.

"Well this was a good idea," he said aloud.

The ringing from his Pearphone scared him nearly out of his chair.

"Hello?" he asked hesitantly, not recognizing the number.

"Hello? Did you call earlier about the apartment?"

It was that Tori girl.

"Um, yes. I did. What's…up?" Freddie shrugged at such an arbitrary thing to say.

"Are you still interested in the room?"

Freddie couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Huh?"

"Could you come by tonight?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. Just give me the address."

He writes down the details and hangs up.

"Here we go," he said.

* * *

"You?" Freddie and Tori said at the same time.

"Hold on," Trina stood up. "You know each other?"

"Yeah," Tori pointed at Freddie. "He was one of the _iCarlys_. They were all at that party at Kenan Thompson's house."

"Tori…Vega, right?" Freddie asked.

She nodded. "That's me. You might remember my sister, Trina?"

"Oh, yeah. You were the one looking for a couple kids?"

"Little brats ran away from me," Trina folded her arms.

"So you're him, huh?" Tori asked, offering Freddie a seat in the couch. "What brings you here?"

"Well, I'm going to Santa Monica and I needed a place to stay. And I don't really know anybody here."

"Well you do and you can stay here," Tori smiled.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Trina sitting between them. "Don't I get a say in this? I mean, no disrespect, but it's not gonna be _that_ easy. I mean I am not keen on living with a guy, especially one I'm not going out wi…"

"I can give my cut of the rent up front," Freddie pulled out his wallet and showed a handful of fifties. "Right now."

Trina grabbed Freddie's hand and shook it furiously. "Terrific, you're in." Once she finishes, she snatches the dead presidents.

"When will you move in?" Tori asked.

"How does right now sound?" Freddie shrugged. "All my life is right here," holding up his bags.

"Oh," Tori was surprised. "I guess. There's not much in your room. Just a loveseat and a table."

"You know what? That'll do." Freddie smiled and grabbed his stuff. "Where do I go?"

"Right here," Tori rose and gestured for Freddie to follow her.

"Lead the way."

Freddie followed Tori down the short corridor leading to the spare room.

"Um, Freddie right?" Tori asked, squinting her eyes searching her memory banks.

"Yeah."

"Sorry. I couldn't put my finger on it at the time." Tori opened the door and turned on the light to Freddie's room. "You really going to Santa Monica?"

"Just got my temp tag this morning." Freddie thought about it for a moment. "You, too?"

Tori nodded.

"Cool." He opened his largest suitcase and started unloading its contents. "Say, Tori" he licked his lips finding the courage to ask. "Would you mind if…never mind."

"No, what?" Tori asked, leaning in the doorway.

"Like I said, I don't know anything about the area. It would be nice to have someone I know that can, I don't know, show me…stuff."

"So, you're on a journey and you want me to be your guide?"

"There's really nobody else I could ask…"

Tori looked hurt by the comment.

"Oh, no" Freddie realizing his error. "I didn't mean it like that. Sorry." He held up his hands defensively. "I meant, there's no one I…really…know…here"

"Don't sweat it," Tori shook her head. "I know what it's like to be in a new place and being nervous." She thought back to her first days at Hollywood Arts. Seemed like a lifetime ago when it was far from it. "I'll show you around the school and town."

"That'd be great," Freddie rubbed his shoulder. "Thank you."

"Well," Tori looked around in search for subterfuge. "I need to get some sleep. I have a course this Saturday at 8 in the morning."

"What?"

"Economics."

Freddie chuckled. "Good luck."

"Thanks," Tori pivoted and stepped out but took a brief moment to turn back to Freddie. "Good night, Freddie."

"Night, Tori."

After the door closed, Freddie continued to spread out his belongings. The loveseat was short but comfortable when compared to a bus stop bench which would have been his bed for the night so he was grateful for that.

He took out a book which had a photo wedged within its pages. Freddie looked at his mom who was smiling.

"Think we'll be okay here."


	6. Chapter 6

Freddie woke up rubbing his eyes. The darkness in his room didn't help in him remembering where he was. Blindly walking through the bathroom door sure refreshed his memory.

"Oh, my God!" Trina shrieked, grabbing her towel.

"Ah," Freddie shouted, covering his eyes and bumping into the wall searching for the door. "Sorry, sorry, sorry!"

The door slammed hard.

Freddie rubbed his fingers through his hair trying to calm down. It was then that he almost collided with Tori.

"Mornin' sunshine," she smiled.

"Did you hear all that?" he gestured toward the bathroom door.

"Oh, yeah" she put her hand on his shoulder. "And it was hilarious."

Freddie rubbed his shoulder nervously. "Guess I'll get my showers at night so it's safe."

"Good thinking. Hungry?"

"I could eat," he replied.

The two of them sit at the little kitchen table where Tori had brought out a plat of muffins. "Help yourself."

"You made these," Freddie took a blueberry one.

"I wish," she brushed back her hair. "Bought these down at the corner coffee shop."

"Pretty good. Say, can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"If it's just you and your sister, then why move into a three-bedroom apartment?"

"Trina wants to be a singer…"

"Oh, she sings?"

"I didn't say that," Tori checked to see if the coast was clear. "It was so she could have her own recording studio at home. Equipment, everything. But…we sort of hit a financial…"

Freddie waved his free hand and swallowed before talking "I get it."

Trina strutted in robed with a towel on her head. "Have a good luck?" Her eyes were stabbing Freddie from across the room.

"The Trina I knew would have been flattered," Tori interjected.

"Well don't you get any funny ideas," Trina told Freddie. "Besides, you're not my type."

"I think you're safe," he mumbled.

Tori tried her best to hide laughing but her hand couldn't hold it back for long. Thankfully, Trina left the kitchen in a huff.

"Nice…" Tori tried to suppress a chuckle to speak. "…to…see you're fitting in. Well, I got to get to class."

"See ya," Freddie said as he watched Tori walk out the door.

* * *

Tori let the door swing open on its own accord. She staggered in and collapsed on the living room couch.

"What happened to you?" Freddie asked.

"Economics," she muffled through the pillow. "They say it's easy but it's not."

"You gonna be okay?" he smiled.

Tori pointed upward. "Yes! When my head stops spinning." She lifted up her head and looked at Freddie with wide eyes. "Oh, I remembered. I promised to show you around!"

"It's okay…"

"No," the half Latina grunted as she got up. "It's not. A promise is a promise."

"Alright," Freddie pocketed his hands.

"So, what do you want to see first?"

"I guess around campus, if you're not tired of it already."

Tori nodded. "Then that's where we're heading. Just give me a minute so I can change into some cross trainers."

"Why?"

"Uh, cause it's huge and I don't want my feet to hurt. Be right back."

Freddie gives a little salute and plops down on the couch to wait for Tori. She returned a little longer than she said and was dressed in a cute blue top with really short white shorts. And she was definitely wearing makeup unlike when she first left.

"You look…great," Freddie grinned.

Her face lit up at the compliment, however clumsy. "Thanks, just thought I'd change."

"Don't see why, you already looked pret…I mean what you had on was…nice."

Tori bit her lip and looked down for a moment. "Well, it's going to take all day and it's not every day I get to hang out with a celebrity."

Freddie covered his face. "This again, huh?"

"Hey," Tori pointed at him. "Don't be like that. You're funny on _iCarly_."

"Of all the people to say I was funny, you'd be the first."

"Guess that makes me your biggest fan," she smiled brightly.

Freddie nodded, "I'm…okay with that." He smirked nervously.

* * *

"Is it alright if I ask you a question?" Tori turned to Freddie as they walked the main promenade.

"Uh, sure." Freddie responded.

"What made you want to come to L.A. in the first place? Didn't you like Seattle?"

"I did…I mean I do." Freddie stroked his teeth with his tongue searching for the words. "There was…at least I thought there was something here for me."

"What do you mean?" Tori looked concerned.

"I left something behind. Something I didn't want to deal with anymore."

"You ran away?"

"More or less. My mom died about a month ago and she always tried to keep me safe. Even if it was insane." He looked over at Tori who was clearly listening intently.

"How about we sit down…somewhere private."

They happened on a bench behind the library building. It was shaded by a tree and there was little foot traffic so it was as secluded as one could be.

"I'm sorry about your mom," Tori put her hand on his knee.

"There's more." Freddie took a deep breath before continuing. "She was the only thing that was keeping me there. So I told everyone back in Seattle that I was going to live with my dad but the truth was he doesn't even know I'm here."

"Why would you do that?" Tori asked.

"I didn't want anybody to find me. That is, if they even wanted to look for me."

Tori nodded. "Well," she began. "Why did you not want these people to find you? Did they hurt you?"

"Yeah. I guess you could say that."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: You guys are the best! Love the reviews. Nice to see you're getting into it in a big way. Hopefully, this chapter will answer a few questions. Not to worry, we aren't over yet! enjoy**

**;-)**

* * *

"There was this girl," Freddie looked into the distance. "We dated for a little bit but we knew each other for a long time. It felt right but everyone around us acted like it was so unnatural and odd. So, we let ourselves doubt what we had. The worst part; I don't think she regrets the split."

"You loved her, didn't you?" Tori's eyes were sad.

"I thought I did. At least I thought she felt the same way about me. I guess I was just being stupid."

Tori took his hand into hers. "I know what you're feeling. I thought I found something that was real and ended up being hurt and confused. Quite a few times, actually."

Freddie sighed and looked at his new roommate. "Thanks for listening, Tori. It felt good to be able to tell someone."

"Can I ask you one more question?"

"Okay."

"I understand what you were telling me; your desire to move away and start over. But…the part with your father. It kind of makes no sense. What difference would it make if you lived with him or not? I mean, if someone DID come looking for you and they found you weren't there, then they logically would go here."

Freddie shook his head. "Nope. I didn't say I was going to Santa Monica. I told them I was accepted to Cal U."

"Oh, I see. You went through some lengths to not be found, Freddie Benson" her eyes squinted.

"Well, it was too much for me to stick around and pretend what happened didn't happen. If she's happy without me, then fine. But if she thinks she can toy with my emotions and act like a gank as if we never had a history, she's in for some serious disappointment."

He stood up and began walking away. Tori followed from behind.

"Wait, hold on!" she shouted.

Freddie turned around "What?"

"Okay, clearly you're not gonna start over here if you're still clinging to feelings from Seattle," her eyes suddenly widened. "I know! You need to go out and have some fun."

"And do what?" he scrunched up his face.

"Hey, there's lots to do here. LA's always got something going on."

"I don't know…"

Tori grabbed his arm, "Look; you are tense as hell. You need to have a little fun and you could use a friend." She smiled at that last word.

Freddie looked around, thinking. "OK, Tori Vega. You win. What are we gonna do?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out," she pointed at his chest. He rubbed the spot where she did.

"Okay, so when?"

"Tonight. I took a peek at your schedule and you're free. And so am I." Tori hoped that Freddie understood the syntax of _and so am I. _

* * *

"What do you mean he's not with you?"

Sam paced around the floor of her living room, looking a little more unkempt than usual. She had been trying to find the number of Mr. Benson for a while and now she finally got a hold of it, she is bemused at the fact that his boy ISN'T living with him.

"Sam, he didn't tell me anything about living here. I would have been happy to have him here. I still feel horrible about not attending Marissa's funeral but I was away at the time. I didn't find out until I got back."

"You think Freddie's mad at you because of that?" Sam asked.

"I don't know. We haven't spoken for months. Not since graduation I wished him congratulations over the phone…"

Sam was getting more furious the more his father kept talking. "What are you, chained to there or something? Your son graduates from high school in the top percentile and your wife and mother of your only son died and you just couldn't make yourself available?"

Mr. Benson sighed and Sam could hear the creaking of a chair when someone is sitting down.

"I know I haven't been a good father…"

"Go on," Sam insisted. She's never had any sympathy for fathers. Ever. Not since her own left and never came back. Colonel Shay was the only decent one she had ever known and when Carly told her that he thought of her as his other daughter, her heart felt light.

"You said that we was going to Cal U, right?"

"Uh-huh," in Sam's signature sass.

"I'll drive over there right now. Maybe he's living on campus or at least nearby."

"Yeah, why don't you do that, Benson?" Sam hung up. She smiled a little to herself that she could invoke the same panic in any Benson boy regardless of age.

"What was that?" Carly came back from the bathroom. "Was that Freddie?"

"No, but close enough. I found his dad."

"Well, how's Freddie doing?"

"Don't know, kid. It seems our little Fredward has gone rogue."

"I don't understand," Carly crossed her arms and sat down on the floor. She didn't like the sounds coming from inside the sofa. "Why would he lie?"

Sam looked at the floor. "I might have an idea."

Carly gave her a sharp look. "What did you do?"

"Okay, remember when we went out?"

Carly nodded.

"Well, he asked me recently if there was ever a chance we would get back together."

"And what did you say?"

Sam sighed. "He was kind of on rollerblades at the time so…I pushed him into park lake."

"Sam!"

"I didn't have an answer and you know how much I hate being put on the spot!"

"Well, good for you! You drove our friend away and we'll probably never see him again because he clearly doesn't want to be found!"

"Look it, you said that we didn't belong together."

"Oh, Sam grow up!" Carly stood. "I've been wrong about stuff before. Maybe I was wrong that time."

"True chiz. I mean, you're the same girl that believes in Bigfoot."

Carly pointed, "Don't you start."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Challenge King, Chasenyx, Fanfic-Reader-88, Jeremy Shane, M.D.G1986, and PD31 - You've all been great! **

**Love that you are liking where I'm going with this but you might be surprised.**

**as always, enjoy ;-)**

* * *

Freddie went through his modest wardrobe and it took his around thirty minutes to settle on something that what casual but "cool." Well, cool enough. He brushed his hair and weighed whether or not to put on some cologne he had bought at the mall last year. Freddie hadn't worn it since he went out with Sam. Strictly speaking, this would be his first outing with a girl since her.

He stepped out of his room and waited in the living room. Getting a little bored, he started checking his e-mails on his phone, not noticing that Tori had already entered the room. Freddie almost dropped his phone when he looked up and saw her.

She was wearing a purple low-cut top with a petite leather jacket with very tight boot cut jeans.

"Ready?" Tori asked.

Freddie's jaw had a hard time remembering to close in order to speak. "I…Uh…you…you look great."

She looked down, brushing back her hair. "You think so, Freddie?"

"Oh, yeah" he smiled. "You look really nice, actually."

"I'm still not telling you where we're going," she grinned.

Freddie sighed and shrugged, "Fine."

He opened the door her and she smiled at the gentlemanly gesture.

Tori stuck her head in the door as it shut. "Trina, taking your car tonight, bye!"

"What?" the older Vega shouted back. Before she knew it, the door was closed.

* * *

Tori gripped the wheel, excited. Freddie just looked at her.

"Is it far?" he finally asked.

"Mmmm….not really."

"Okay."

After nearly an hour of driving with the traffic, the car stopped.

"We're here," Tori stepped out of the car. Freddie followed suit.

He looked around, confused.

"Are we where I think we are?"

"Yup," she turned to him taking his hand.

Tori stopped in the middle of the desert. Just far enough where the white lights of the city vanish.

"No way," he smiled, his eyes wide open like a child at Christmastime. "This was Panthatar!" He turned back to Tori. "But how?"

"I found out on your Splashface that you're into _Galaxy Wars_, so I thought you'd get a kick out of this."

Freddie shook his head in disbelief, "This is the coolest thing ever!" He pointed at a small mountain range in the distance. "That was where the army of Red Skynauts descended on Nug Nug and his ship."

Tori couldn't help but smile wide at Freddie's gushing. She had always felt awkward so she was happy that Freddie could be so honest in front of her.

"How did you find this place?" Freddie asked.

"I read about it in a book once. Took me a while to find it the first time."

Freddie stopped in his tracks and stared at Tori, bewildered. "What? You've been here before?"

She nodded, grinning embarrassed. "Quite a few times, actually."

"You like _Galaxy Wars_?"

Tori raised her right pinky, ring finger and thumb in the galactic salute. Freddie did it in return. In the films, it is a form of friendly greeting.

"What's your favorite?" Freddie asked.

"Return of Oblangata." Tori raised her eyebrow with confidence.

"Blasphemy," he squinted.

"Oh, I get it you're one of those super fans that LOOOVVEEE the first one!"

"You're darn right!"

"Feelin' hungry?" Tori asked.

"I could eat, I guess."

"Let's go," she topped Freddie. "Right after we watch the sun set on Panthatar."

"You're on," he smirked.

* * *

The Volkswagen pulled up to Nozu's.

"What's this place?" Freddie asked.

"This is our favorite hangout in high school. Haven't had sushi since I started college."

Freddie winced. "Sushi? Isn't that raw fish?"

"There's more to it than that," she put her hand on her hip. "Never tried it before?"

"Nope," he shook his head.

"Then you're in for a treat," giving a devilish grin and snatching the boy's hand. "Come on!"

It was a typical busy night for the hotspot. Freddie and Tori waited for more than half an hour to finally be seated but it was worth it. Their booth was situated in the new wing to the restaurant which had a nice view of downtown. When all the lights were on, all those manmade lights were strangely beautiful. Tori suppressed a giggle watching Freddie try a spicy tuna-seaweed wrap with rice.

"Well?" she grinned. "What do you think?"

"It's pretty weird but it's good," he said before sipping his iced tea.

"Told ya!" she teased. "So," pushing her food with her fork. "You having a good time?"

"You know what? Yeah, I really am. Most fun I've had in a while."

"That's great."

Her face exuded warmth. Freddie certainly felt comfortable with her.

* * *

Sam answered her phone when Mr. Benson called back. "Hello?"

"Sam? It's Mr. Benson. I just back from the school and they said they have no record of Freddie enrolling. He applied but that was that."

The blonde sighed and fell onto her bed, which was a two mattresses on the floor.

"So, now what?" she asked, frustrated.

"I don't know. Why would he lie?"

Sam snorted. "This is crazy. Freddie is in Los Angeles, I guess, and we don't know where!"

"Do you think something's wrong?"

That simple question flooded Sam's mind with untold scenarios of Freddie being hurt somewhere or worse. Panic set in her chest. She felt the same way when he was hit by the taco truck. Sam messed with him all the time but she was always in control and didn't let it get past a certain point. But far away, out of her reach, Freddie could really be in serious trouble.

"That's it, I'm going down there."

"Sam, hold on" Freddie's father exclaimed. "You don't know what you're saying. You can't just come to LA…"

"I wasn't asking a question!"

She hung up her phone after that. Grabbing her backpack, Sam filled it with some clothes and her charger. She secreted some money from her mom's purse and was about to leave before remembering the most important thing. Food. Sam crammed the remainder of her bag with a stick of pepperoni and a couple dozen fatcakes.

Sam fired up her motorcycle and zoomed out into the night, listening to the directions on her PearPhone's GPS.

_Freddie Benson; if you're not dead, I will kill you!_


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I didn't want to drag this thing out to ridiculous lengths so we're ending it here. **

**Shout out to PD31 for the brilliant job coining this shipping. Why didn't I think of "Teddie" sooner? **

**The way it ends might spark some controversy. Some probably didn't think it would go that way but tell me what you think. **

**i wanted to try something different and at the same time, it is left open for someone to make their own contributions to future Teddie.**

**see you later**

**;-) **

**P.S. Tune in for the final episode on Saturday night. It's gonna hurt not having our Victorious friends.**

**Let's keep the fan fics rolling out and keep Victorious alive for its fans.**

* * *

Tori and Freddie were laughing when they came through the apartment door. They found Trina sitting on the couch, arms folded and glaring.

"Had fun, you two?" she hissed.

"Uh-oh," Freddie murmured.

Tori puts her hand on his shoulder. "Just ignore Trina. Everyone else does."

She reciprocates with a shit-eating grin. "Did you at least put gas in my car?" she asked.

"Um," Tori thought. "Sure."

Tori followed Freddie to the door of his room.

"That was pretty fun, Tori" me smiled.

"Well, I had fun too."

"That's good…"

Tori just stared at him for a few seconds too long until it became uncomfortable. Before Freddie could react, she placed her hands on his face and kisses him.

Their eyes held onto one another, trying to process what had just happened.

"I'm sorry," Tori began. "I didn't mean to…"

"It's…okay…I just didn't expect…wow." He couldn't bring himself to blink.

"So…what happens now?"

"I don't know," Freddie said. "Did it feel weird to you?"

"No."

"Me neither."

"Great," the two of them looked at Trina standing in the hall. "I knew this was gonna happen. So what are you two dating now?"

"Are we?" Tori asked.

"Think so," Freddie answered without giving it another thought. He smiled at Tori and she smiled back.

* * *

It had been almost thirty-six hours since she arrived in LA. Sam was determined to get some answers.

Sam stopped her motorcycle at the parking lot of Santa Monica. She looked around, rebuffing each strange person coming up to her asking for an autograph.

"Just get the hell away from me before I butter-sock you," she told many of them while brandishing the weapon in question.

She finally got across campus to the little district she heard the students like to hang out. There was a bistro, a repertory cinema, some shops and a skating rink. It wasn't until she got to the theatre that she saw Freddie.

He was okay. In fact he was smiling and laughing. And holding a girl. It was that Tori Vega chick from that party who Carly boyfriend was two-timing on her with. The two of them were blissfully swept up in their own world.

Sam was only yards away from the two of them. Her first instinct was to confront Freddie but she stayed back.

They started walking down the promenade and Sam followed shadow lengths behind them.

When they approached a giant pedestrian bridge with steps that lead to a walkway high above the bustling multi-lane traffic. Tori and Freddie stop at the middle, watching the passing cars while Sam stayed at the bottom of the steps.

She looked at them having a conversation. After a few minutes, they leaned in and kisses very tenderly. Sam felt sick to her stomach watching this. They were over but it still bothered her seeing Freddie with someone else. Not being able to see anymore, she turned around and headed back to her bike.

* * *

Sam took out her phone and called Carly.

"Sam? Where are you?" she asked concerned.

"Hey, I'm fine. I'm in LA."

"Well, did you find Freddie?"

Sam sighed and hesitated before answering. "No."

Carly huffed. "So what do we do now?"

"Carls, I'm giving up with this chiz. I'm heading back to Seattle."

"Sam?"

"What?"

"Do you think…that he's okay out there?"

Sam fought back tears of regret. She knew she blew it and it was better to make a clean break just Freddie's clearly done.

"Yeah, I guess so. I'll see you later."

She hung up and fired her cycle. Zooming out into the bright downtown, Sam thought about those few days she and Freddie gone out. Yeah, it was weird but a lot of it felt good. Very good. They were stupid to think they belonged together but she also thought they were equally stupid to break it off.

How many times has Sam done something that was beyond the pale? Why the hell did she let herself give up on him?

It's too late now. He's with this Tori girl and they're happy.

As she rode into the night, Sam fondled the necklace she wore on their first proper date. It would be a reminder for her to not listen to anything else but her heart.

"Later Benson," she said to the metropolis. "You'd better treat him right, Tori Vega" she added.


End file.
